Happy New Year to all of you and to a lucky lot of you, welcome to Dry January. 

What’s that? You say you already slurped down a few bloody marys on New Year’s Day? Not to worry — me too. Personally, I like to begin my sober sabbatical on Jan. 2. 

If you’re on the fence about taking a month or even two weeks off the sauce, let me be the one to reinforce what I’m sure you’ve heard before: It’s totally worth it (and oh the money you’ll save).

Last year, during my first-ever Dry January, I was determined to keep going out with friends, going to concerts and attending all the usual nighttime social functions. Plus, I do moonlight as a DJ so, being the life of the party is sort of my job (no one prefers an awkward, frowny disc jockey — unless it’s emo night). Dry January revealed something to me last year that I didn’t realize I suffered from: social anxiety — debilitatingly so. And it turned out that my little glass of fernet that I’d sipped during my DJ sets was the antidote (or the mask) all along. But by the third week of grueling sober perseverance, I was pleasantly surprised to find my social footing again. I also found a sunnier disposition, clear skin and a smaller waist size — win, win and win. 

Convinced? Whether you practice a sober lifestyle already or you’ve decided to embark on a dry month with me, we’re going to talk about mocktails and where to get them in Long Beach. 

In their latest evolution, mocktails have come a long, long way from what they were (an awkward cup of mixed juice). From the ethereal concoctions with ingredients like butterfly pea and green tea syrup to non-alcoholic rose and zero-proof aperitivo, there are so many yummy boozeless alternatives that, at the very least, will serve as a hangover-less party prop. Luckily, many bars have caught onto the fact that, yes, even those who don’t partake in the elixir of headaches and mistakes like to go out and sip non-alcoholic prosecco, espresso martinis and the like — not just the obligatory Bitburger or O’Douls. 

Without further inspirational blathering (thank you for coming to my Ted Talk), let’s embark on our boozeless bar crawl.

Shirley’s Temple – 2420 E. 28th St., Signal Hill

How could we not begin with Shirley’s Temple? The LB area’s only mocktail bar that just topped Yelp’s list of the 25 best places to get a mocktail in the U.S. Wowzer. That’s pretty impressive, considering that they opened less than one year ago. Also, Dry January has been crowned as Shirley Temple month, since the cherry-red drink is the O.G. mocktail.

And they really know what they’re doing over there. This month, they’re even offering three low-calorie, low-sugar mocktails to help you fulfill some of those health-oriented New Year’s resolutions.

When I met the owner last year, I immediately got the sense that she has mastered the wizardry behind crafting a good mocktail. But don’t call her Shirley. A bartender by trade, Essie Evans has crafted a menu with everything from caffeinated mocktinis to spicy blood orange margaritas to non-alcoholic prosecco and everything in between.

I like my mocktails with a little bite, so I really enjoyed La Spicy Shirley. But for next time, I’ve got my eye on the Retro Rose with lemon, honey, a splash of non-alcoholic prosecco and edible rose petals.

Check out her menu here. 

Baby Gee – 1227 E. Fourth St.

Another newcomer in town, Baby Gee, has also received some national recognition, especially when it was named one of the 10 best new bars in the West in last year’s Spirited Awards.

In my experience with sober bar outings, I’d rather hang out at a place that is either super kitschy, aesthetically pleasing or has some sort of immersive theme. Baby Gee’s hits that mark for me with its ‘70s living room vibes, vintage knick-knacks and shiny jewel-tone color palette. On their menu, they offer mocktails like the Fuschia Flame: Spirit-free aperitivo, spiced plum, sparkling hibiscus tea and lemon. I’m also intrigued by the Apple Wagon: Spirit free “tequila,” Granny Smith, allspice, cardamom, lemon and quinine. 

They also offer a Leitz non-alcoholic sparkling riesling, an Untitled Art mango and dragon fruit sour, a Juicy IPA and much more. 

Saint & Second – 4828 Second St.

If you’re someone who likes to be out and about, Dry January should never be a month to abstain from that. Easily, one of the best things about this month (if you imbibe regularly) is the extra cash you’ll have to spend on food instead of booze. Saint & Second always gives me a run for my money because I can never decide whether to blow my wallet on the food or their delicious cocktails. This weekend, I’ll happily pay $6 for their virgin Bloody Mary and their decadent breakfast sandwich AND their old-fashioned pancakes.

Aside from brunch, this Belmont Shore corner staple is also a great date night spot. And you can still grab yourself a sleek cocktail — spirit free. The Take it Easy has non-alcoholic Martini & Rossi Floreale, a housemade ginger syrup, fresh lime juice, Fever-Tree sparkling Lime and Yuzu. 

The Wicked Wolf –  2332 Pacific Ave. 

Speaking of ethereal concoctions, we can’t sound off a proper boozeless role call without mentioning The Wicked Wolf. It’s one of the few alcoholic bars (if not the only) that offers a mocktail list as extensive as its cocktail menu. 

The London Fox has Earl Grey tea syrup, super lemon juice, Free Spirits non-alcoholic gin, oatmilk, vanilla and nutmeg. The Fountain of Youth is cucumber, mint, super lime, simple syrup, butterfly pea flower tea and soda. 

Happy drinking, boozeless barflys. Did I miss your favorite mocktail hole in the wall? Tell me your secrets, witch. Email me your favorite hangouts and mocktails offered in and around Long Beach.